Issue 9, 2025

Complementary foods in infants: an in vitro study of the faecal microbial composition and organic acid production

Abstract

The transition from breastmilk to complementary foods is critical for maturing the colonic microbiota of infants. Dietary choices at weaning can lead to long-lasting microbial changes, potentially influencing health later in life. However, the weaning phase remains underexplored in colonic microbiome research, and the current understanding of how complementary foods impact the infant's colonic microbiota is limited. To address this knowledge gap, this study assessed the influence of 13 food ingredients on the in vitro microbial composition and production of organic acids by the faecal microbiota in New Zealand infants aged 5 to 11 months. To better represent real feeding practices, ingredients were combined with infant formula, other complementary foods, or both infant formula and other foods. Among the individual food ingredients, fermentation with peeled kūmara (sweet potato) increased the production of lactate and the relative abundance of the genus Enterococcus. Fermentation with blackcurrants, strawberries, or raspberries enhanced acetate and propionate production. Additionally, fermentation with blackcurrants increased the relative abundance of the genus Parabacteroides, while raspberry fermentation increased the relative abundance of the genera Parabacteroides and Eubacterium. When combined with infant formula or with blackcurrants, fermenting black beans increased butyrate production and stimulated the relative abundance of Clostridium sensu stricto 1. These foods are promising candidates for future clinical trials.

Graphical abstract: Complementary foods in infants: an in vitro study of the faecal microbial composition and organic acid production

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
22 Jan 2025
Accepted
22 Feb 2025
First published
11 Apr 2025
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY-NC license

Food Funct., 2025,16, 3465-3481

Complementary foods in infants: an in vitro study of the faecal microbial composition and organic acid production

V. Geniselli da Silva, J. A. Mullaney, N. C. Roy, N. W. Smith, C. Wall, C. J. Tatton and W. C. McNabb, Food Funct., 2025, 16, 3465 DOI: 10.1039/D5FO00414D

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